Warming up in Paris: Where to get the city’s best hot chocolates

When winter hits Paris, there is nothing better than warming up in a Parisian salon de thé with a cup of rich chocolat chaud. Parisian hot chocolate is some of the best you can try, and the city’s charming cafes make the perfect cosy setting. Here we round up our selection of where to find the best hot chocolate in the city.

Angelina

One of the best-known places in Paris for a wonderfully rich hot chocolate is Angelina, the historic tea room which has pride of place on the rue de Rivoli. Once frequented by Coco Chanel and Marcel Proust, it is still just as charming today, and tourists and Parisians alike can be found sat side by side sipping on Angelina’s famed hot chocolate “L’Africain,” served in generously-sized jugs and always with a side of whipped cream.

Judging by the queues outside, which can stretch down the street, many don’t seem to know that you can reserve a table online, allowing you to waltz straight in and out of the cold to warm up with your hot chocolate. And if you want to follow in the footsteps of Chanel, ask to be seated at her table, number 45. 

Pâtisserie Emma Duvéré

An address only locals know about, Emma Duvéré is best known for excellent artisan cakes, tarts and French pâtisserie, which are all made on-site daily by Emma and her team. But the chocolat chaud à l’ancienne is just as good as the desserts, and unlike other Parisian hot chocolates, is enhanced by warming spices which are perfect for colder months. There is the option to take-away, something that many other cafes don’t offer, but the pâtisserie is a friendly and cosy spot to sit-in and enjoy a traditional French goûter, a sweet afternoon snack usually served to kids after school, but loved by adults too.

Carette

Founded in 1927, Carette is one of the most historic and charming locations to enjoy a hot chocolate in Paris, in part thanks to its location on the beautiful Places des Vosges. Take a seat inside to enjoy the old world Parisian decor, or cosy up on the terrace under the historic arches for people watching. The most indulgent hot chocolate here is the cafe’s Chocolat Viennois, which comes with a silver bowl piled high with whipped cream to add to your steaming cup of thick chocolate. The prettily presented French desserts are also hard to resist! 

Le Café Alain Ducasse

Although it specialises in coffee, Le Café Alain Ducasse also serves a great hot chocolate, which has a particularly unique flavour due to it being made with not one but two different bars of chocolate. In fact, it’s so intense for some that it’s even served with a small jug of milk on the side. There is also a small selection of desserts (the financier with honey and hazelnut is particularly good!) but if that still hasn’t satisfied your sweet tooth, then just two minutes away is La Manufacture du Chocolat Alain Ducasse, where you can pick up boxes of chocolates and the bars which were made to prepare your drink.

Jean-Paul Hévin

Chocolatier Jean-Paul Hévin arguably makes some of the best chocolates in Paris, and so it’s no surprise this his hot chocolate is also not to be missed. In fact, he’s such a chocolate expert that he holds the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), which literally translates to ‘Best Craftsman (or woman) of France’, and is an award only bestowed upon the very best artisan in his or her field.

Hévin has five shops in Paris, plus a concession in Galeries Lafayette, and you can find his hot chocolate at his Louvre boutique on rue Saint-Honoré. Here a cup of steaming chocolate will be prepared in front of you to take-away, or if you’d like to try one of his desserts (and you probably will!) then ask staff about the small private room hidden away at the back of the shop where you can sit-in and enjoy. You can also try his hot chocolate and desserts at Café Pavane, created by Hévin’s daughter Manon.

Edwart 

Edwin Yansané, the chocolatier behind Edwart, is known for his love of unusual flavour combinations, playing around with ingredients such as curry in his award-winning chocolates. However, Edwart’s hot chocolate is just pure, unadulterated chocolate.

In fact, this deliciously thick and creamy chocolate is not even made with milk, just water, making it a great vegan Paris address to bookmark. It’s available to take-away from Edwart’s rue de Rivoli boutique (there is also a shop in Le Marais) and although you can’t sit in to enjoy it, walking around the nearby Jardin des Tuileries on a cold winter’s day with a cup of chocolat chaud to keep you warm makes a rather perfect Parisian afternoon.

If you’re looking for more sweet treats in Paris, then check out our favourite bakeries in the city for ideas on where to find delicious desserts and pâtisserie.